hertamaniac
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2017
some/part of it.
The recent battery issue at MCO has caused some re-thinking in procedures and overall safety. I'll keep it non-technical, initially, as to keep folks engaged.
Li-ion batteries come in many form factors and chemistries that can often push energy envelope(s). As the cell/architecture design evolves, there comes some concerns with stability (often repeat-ability of cell manufacturing) which can have extreme reliability and safety. However, certain form factors and/or chemistries may experience a manufacturing flaw that can propagate to cell/layer failure. The search for lighter, more energy and cheaper continually pushes battery designers to cell design limits.
I think the somewhat recent 777 "smoking batteries" has caused some experts in the industry to pause on the higher energy promises that Li-ion can bring. This example shows, to me, that industry (e.g. corporate mandates) may push to release a battery design perhaps without true long-term knowledge or data sets. But, I've lived on this fence for decades in the battery design world; how much data do we have to support a global release for A particular application? Yes, I've seen a Li-ion thermal runaway event, first hand in the lab, with a Li-ion battery that goes into an exothermic state. It is volatile event based on my empirical viewing.
My own observations makes me so nervous when I go to my local gym and see so many folks bring their "Smart Devices" into a hot sauna which can only exasperate a potential cell/battery failure (heat is an enemy to conventional battery designs). If I was a sauna owner, I would mandate that no electronic/battery operated devices make their way into a sauna or steam-room. It is only a matter of time until we hear of a catastrophic event in these environments.
Overall, this makes me think that all Li-ion (or battery powered devices), will ultimately end up in a secured compartment, laced with monitoring devices, to potentially suppress a catastrophic event while on the tarmac or in flight. Yes, this would likely translate to higher ticket prices.
The recent battery issue at MCO has caused some re-thinking in procedures and overall safety. I'll keep it non-technical, initially, as to keep folks engaged.
Li-ion batteries come in many form factors and chemistries that can often push energy envelope(s). As the cell/architecture design evolves, there comes some concerns with stability (often repeat-ability of cell manufacturing) which can have extreme reliability and safety. However, certain form factors and/or chemistries may experience a manufacturing flaw that can propagate to cell/layer failure. The search for lighter, more energy and cheaper continually pushes battery designers to cell design limits.
I think the somewhat recent 777 "smoking batteries" has caused some experts in the industry to pause on the higher energy promises that Li-ion can bring. This example shows, to me, that industry (e.g. corporate mandates) may push to release a battery design perhaps without true long-term knowledge or data sets. But, I've lived on this fence for decades in the battery design world; how much data do we have to support a global release for A particular application? Yes, I've seen a Li-ion thermal runaway event, first hand in the lab, with a Li-ion battery that goes into an exothermic state. It is volatile event based on my empirical viewing.
My own observations makes me so nervous when I go to my local gym and see so many folks bring their "Smart Devices" into a hot sauna which can only exasperate a potential cell/battery failure (heat is an enemy to conventional battery designs). If I was a sauna owner, I would mandate that no electronic/battery operated devices make their way into a sauna or steam-room. It is only a matter of time until we hear of a catastrophic event in these environments.
Overall, this makes me think that all Li-ion (or battery powered devices), will ultimately end up in a secured compartment, laced with monitoring devices, to potentially suppress a catastrophic event while on the tarmac or in flight. Yes, this would likely translate to higher ticket prices.